Inspecting and Releasing Goods at a Land, Air, or Sea Border

ABSTRACT

A method and system for use by a Customs Agency for clearing shipments of goods into a country is disclosed. A customs resource application may be used to integrate alert information, news, research, and communications capabilities. Customs inspectors may use the resource application with a conventional computer, or with a portable device in the field as they perform customs inspections. The portable device provides access to alert information regarding shipments that are to be inspected by the inspector, and provides alert resolution capabilities so that the inspector can clear shipments into the country from the location of the inspection and/or shipped goods without requiring the inspector to return to a field office to clear the goods.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a data tracking method and system. Theinvention may be embodied in systems and methods used by customsinspectors to track and release shipments at borders using a databaseand a remote terminal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The United States Customs Service (USCS) is one of the primaryenforcement agencies monitoring U.S. borders. The Customs Service'sresponsibilities include, for each of the country's approximately 330borders, ensuring that illegal goods do not enter the country, andensuring that legal goods enter the country only after proper inspectionand/or approval.

On an annual basis, the USCS is presently responsible for inspecting andapproving millions of shipments coming into the U.S., includingshipments by air, land, and sea. This is presently done using a largelymanual paper-based process. Due to the number of items entering theU.S., only about 1-5% of all shipments are searched. On a daily basis,customs inspectors receive lists of tasks that they must perform. Thetasks include alerts to shipments that are to be visually inspected, andalerts to types of shipments that have recently been found to containillegal goods, such as drugs. The tasks are printed on sheets of paperthat the customs inspectors carry with them on clipboards when theyperform inspections.

The USCS presently uses a mainframe computer to house a centraldatabase, referred to as the Automated Commercial System, or ACS. Atypical method used by the USCS to perform inspections is shown in FIG.10. Each field office generally has at least one computer through whichthe inspectors can connect to and log in to the central mainframe ACSsystem, in step 401. The inspector receives and prints a list of tasksfor the day (e.g., inspections) in step 403. The inspector then takesthe list printout on a clipboard to inspect the goods at the goods'location (e.g., a loading dock) in step 405. Upon completion of theinspection, the inspector must, in step 407, perform any necessaryresearch, enter the inspection findings, and clear the shipment forimport. Step 407 is performed at the field office, not the inspectionlocation. That is, the release decision regarding the shipment isphysically made from the field office. Finally, in step 409, the centraldatabase ACS system issues clearance information (e.g., an authorizationcode) that the shipper may use to bring the goods into the U.S. Theclearance information is typically transmitted to shippers viaelectronic data interchange (EDI). The shipper may then use theclearance information to obtain the goods and continue their transportwithin the U.S.

The amount of data entry presently associated with each shipment can belengthy and tedious. As a result, customs inspectors often wait untilseveral shipments' data are ready to be entered into the database beforeclearing the shipments. This often delays clearance of shipments forhours, and sometimes even longer.

During inspection, questions may arise regarding a shipment for whichthe inspector must perform research. The research may be performedbefore the search has begun, when the alert provides some information tothe inspector that the inspector wants to investigate. The research mayalso be performed after the inspection where the inspection gives riseto the researchable issue. For instance, an inspector may travel to aseaport to perform an inspection for incoming engine blocks beingshipped to an auto manufacturer. Upon inspecting the engine blocks inmore detail, the inspector may realize that the engine blocks originatefrom a certain country or are of a certain configuration for which thereis an alert, or that the engine blocks are made in a certain manner thatmakes them likely containers for drugs. Presently, the inspector musttravel back to the field office to perform research on the engine block.Research materials available to each inspector include computer-basedresearch tools, books, and the knowledge of other inspectors. Thecomputer-based research tools, however, are not integrated. That is, theinspector may use one application program to perform some research andmay use another application program to perform other research. Uponcompleting research at the field office, the inspector often then musttravel back to the border where the search is being performed, in thisinstance the seaport, and finish the inspection before determining thegoods' entry status. This can significantly delay the entry of the goodsinto the U.S.

Shipments can also be delayed by being misclassified. That is, each typeof goods is given a classification, such as “4-cylinder engine,”“6-cylinder engine,” “8-cylinder engine,” and the like. The amount ofduty that a company must pay when the goods enter the U.S. depends inpart on the classification. When goods are incorrectly classified, thewrong duty may be paid, or the shipment may be delayed so that a USCSimport specialist can travel to the goods' location and reclassify thegoods. Classifications often contain minor differences, such as “inkroller ball pen” vs. “ink ball-point pen,” so misclassification is notuncommon. In addition, because some borders are located over one hourfrom the nearest import specialist, misclassification can cause lengthydelays.

In today's global economy, companies are increasingly dependent oninternational shipments of goods. For instance, an auto manufacturer mayhave to shut down one or more of its U.S. manufacturing plants if itsshipments are delayed at a border for more than one hour. Thus, improvedmethods and systems are needed that allow customs inspectors to workmore efficiently, and selectively search shipments based on betterinformed decisions.

It would be an improvement in the art if customs inspectors could clearshipments for entry into the country at the place of inspection, withoutthe need to return to a field office. It would also be an improvement ifcustoms inspectors could utilize a single computer to receive taskinformation, perform research, receive news, communicate with otherinspectors and import specialists, and clear shipments into the country.It would be a further advancement in the art if the single computer wereportable and could be used in the field at a location where inspectorsinspect shipments of goods.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect of the invention, there is a method of clearing ashipment of goods into a country. The method includes a set of steps. Aclient computer received a task list from a server computer. A customsinspector inspects a shipment of goods corresponding to one of the tasksin the task list. The customs inspector, at a location of theinspection, inputs inspection results into the client computer, and thenthe inspection results are sent to the server computer over a wirelesscommunications link.

In a second aspect of the invention, there is a portable device thatincludes a display screen a processing unit, and memory. The memorystores computer readable instructions that, when executed by theprocessor, cause the portable device to perform a set of steps. Theportable device receives a task list from a computer, wherein each taskcorresponds to a shipment of goods at a port. The portable devicedisplays task information on the display screen. The portable devicereceives inspection results from a user, wherein the inspection resultscorrespond to one of the shipments of goods in the task list, and sendsthe inspection results to the computer. The inspection results are sentover a wireless communications link.

In a third aspect of the invention, there is a computer including adisplay screen a processing unit, and memory. The memory stores computerreadable instructions corresponding to a single software application.When the processor executes the computer readable instructions, thecomputer performs a set of steps. The computer receives a task list froma second computer, wherein each task corresponds to a shipment of goodsat a port, and displays task information on the display screen. Thecomputer receives inspection results from a user, wherein the inspectionresults correspond to one of the shipments of goods in the task list,and the computer sends the inspection results to the second computer.

In a fourth aspect of the invention, there is a portable deviceincluding a display screen, a processing unit, and memory. The memorystores computer readable instructions that, when executed by theprocessor, cause the portable device to perform a set of steps. Theportable device receives a task list from a computer, wherein each taskcorresponds to a shipment of goods at a port, and displays a tasksummary list on the display screen. For each task the device displays apriority level, an arrival date, an importer name, a risk level, and acommodity name. The portable device displays detailed task informationon the display screen, wherein the task information includes informationassociated with a shipment of goods corresponding to a selected task.The portable device receives inspection results from a user, wherein theinspection results correspond to the shipment of goods, and sends theinspection results to the computer over a wireless communications link.

In a fifth aspect of the invention, there is a computer including adisplay screen, a processing unit, and memory. The memory storescomputer readable instructions corresponding to a single softwareapplication. When the processor executes the computer readableinstructions, the computer performs a set of steps. The computerreceives a list of tasks from a central database, wherein each taskcorresponds to a shipment of goods at a port, and displays a tasksummary list on the display screen wherein, for each task, the computerdisplays a priority level, an arrival date, an importer name, a risklevel, and a commodity name. The computer displays detailed taskinformation on the display screen, wherein the task informationcomprises information associated with a shipment of goods correspondingto a selected task. The computer receives inspection results from auser, wherein the inspection results correspond to the shipment ofgoods, and the computer sends the inspection results to the centraldatabase to clear the shipment for passage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a system architecture according to one embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a computer screen displaying alert summaries in acontent area, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a computer screen displaying alert detail informationin a content area, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a computer screen displaying alert resolutioninformation in a content area, according to one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a computer welcome screen on a handheld deviceaccording to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a computer screen on a handheld device displaying analert summary list according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a computer screen on a handheld device displayingalert detail information according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a second computer screen on a handheld devicedisplaying alert detail information according to one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a computer screen on a handheld device displayingnews information according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a typical method used by the United States CustomsService to clear incoming shipments of goods into the U.S.

FIG. 11 illustrates a method of clearing incoming shipments of goodsaccording to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates a computer/network block diagram for use with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 illustrates a flowchart for performing a method according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 illustrates a flowchart for performing a method according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 15 illustrates a block diagram of a computer readable mediumaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the invention may be embodied in various devices andarchitectures. One aspect of the invention provides a computing devicein communication with a central database that a customs inspector mayuse to perform each task that is part of her daily routine. Applicationsoftware on the adapted computing device operated in combination withthe database may be referred to as a customs resource application.

The methods and systems of the present invention may be embodied in acomputer system, such as a computer system 10 shown in FIG. 12. Thecomputer system 10 includes a central processor unit 11, a system memory13 and a system bus 15 which couples various system components,including the system memory 13, to the central processor unit 11. Thesystem bus 15 may comprise one of any of several types of busstructures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheralbus, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. Thestructure of the system memory 13 is well known to those skilled in theart and may include a basic input/output system (BIOS) stored in a readonly memory (ROM), and one or more program modules, such as operatingsystems, application programs, and program data, stored in random accessmemory (RAM).

The computer system 10 may also include a variety of interface units anddrives for reading and writing data. In way of example, the computersystem 10 may include a hard disk interface 17 and a removable memoryinterface 19, coupling a hard disk drive 21 and a removable memory drive23, respectively, to the system bus 15. The removable memory drive 23may include a magnetic disk drive or an optical disk drive. The drivesfor reading and writing data, and their associated computer-readablemedia, such as a floppy disk 25, provide nonvolatile storage of computerreadable instructions, data structures, program modules and other datafor the computer system 10. It should be understood that, although onlyone hard disk drive 21 and one removable memory drive 23 are shown forclarity of illustration, the computer system 10 may include several ofeither or both such drives. Furthermore, the computer system 10 mayinclude additional drives for interfacing with other types ofcomputer-readable media.

A user can interact with the computer system 10 using a number of inputdevices. In the illustration provided, a serial port interface 27couples a keyboard 29 and a pointing device 31 to the system bus 15. Thepointing device 31 may be implemented as a mouse, a track ball, a pendevice, or other such similar device. Of course, one or more other inputdevices (not shown) such as a joystick, a game pad, a satellite dish, ascanner, a touch sensitive screen, or the like, may be connected to thecomputer system 10.

The computer system 10 may include additional interfaces for connectingstill more devices (not shown) to the system bus 15. A universal serialbus (USB) interface 33 couples a video or digital camera 35 to thesystem bus 15. An IEEE 1394 interface 37 may be used to coupleadditional devices (not shown) to the computer system 10. Furthermore,the IEEE 1394 interface 37 may be configured to operate with particularmanufacture interfaces, such as FireWire developed by Apple Computer andi.Link developed by Sony Corporation. Input devices may also be coupledto the system bus 15 through a parallel port, a game port, a PCI board,or any other interface used to couple and input device to a computer.

The computer system 10 may also include a video adapter 39 coupling adisplay device 41 to the system bus 15. The display device 41 mayinclude a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), afield emission display (FED), a plasma display, or any other device thatproduces an image that is viewable by the user. Additional outputdevices, such as a printing device (not shown), may be connected to thecomputer system 10.

Sound can be recorded and reproduced with a microphone 43 and a speaker45. A sound card 47 may be used to couple the microphone 43 and thespeaker 45 to the system bus 15. One skilled in the art will appreciatethat the particular device connection configuration is shown forillustration purposes only, and that several of the peripheral devicescould be coupled to the system bus 15 via alternative interfaces. Forexample, the video camera 35 could be connected to the IEEE 1394interface 37, and the pointing device 31 could be connected to the USBinterface 33.

The computer system 10 can operate in a networked environment usinglogical connections to one or more remote computers or other devices,such as a server, a router, a network personal computer, a peer deviceor other common network node, a wireless telephone, or a wirelesspersonal digital assistant. The computer system 10 includes a networkinterface 49 that couples the system bus 15 to a local area network(LAN) 51. Networking environments are commonplace in offices,enterprise-wide computer networks, and home computer systems.

A wide area network (WAN) 53, such as the Internet, can also be accessedby the computer system 10. A modem unit 55 is shown connected to theserial port interface 27 and to the WAN 53. The modem unit 55 may belocated within or external to the computer system 10, and may compriseany type of conventional modem, such as a cable modem or a satellitemodem. The LAN 51 may also be used to connect to the WAN 53 via a router57 in accordance with conventional practices.

It will be appreciated by one skilled in the relevant art that thenetwork connections shown are exemplary and that other ways ofestablishing a communications link between computers can be used. Theexistence of any of various well-known protocols, such as TCP/IP, FrameRelay, Ethernet, FTP, HTTP, and the like, is presumed, and the computersystem 10 can be operated in a client-server configuration to permit auser to retrieve web pages from a web-based server. Furthermore, any ofvarious conventional web browsers can be used to display and manipulatedata on web pages.

The operation of the computer system 10 can be controlled by a varietyof different program modules. Examples of program modules are routines,programs, objects, components, and data structures that performparticular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Thepresent invention may also be practiced with other computer systemconfigurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems,microprocessor-based, or programmable consumer electronics, network PCS,minicomputers, mainframe computers, personal digital assistants, and thelike. Furthermore, the invention may also be practiced in distributedcomputing environments where tasks are performed by remote processingdevices that are linked through a communications network. In adistributed computing environment, program modules may be located inboth local and remote memory storage devices.

A first embodiment of the invention will now be described with referenceto FIGS. 1-4. FIG. 1 shows a system architecture of a computer networkthat may be used in this embodiment. Other network architectures arealso possible. A central computer 101 may include a processing unit 103and memory 105. The memory may be used to store a central database 107.Wireless communications towers 109, 111, and 113, and computers 125,127, and 129, may each be communicatively coupled to the centralcomputer 101 via one or more networks 115 and 117. Each field office119, 121, and 123 may house one or more computers 125, 127, and 129.Mobile devices 131, 133, and 135 may wirelessly communicate with thecentral database through one or more of the wireless communicationtowers.

Each customs field office is typically located near a port (i.e. aninternational border) such as airport 137, a land border such asU.S.-Mexico border 139, or a sea border such as seaport 141. However,field offices are not necessarily located near a border location.

Computers 125, 127, and 129 may be any type of computing device that maybe adapted to perform in accordance with the invention. Conventionaldesktop and laptop computers are only two examples of types of computersthat may be used with the invention.

Portable devices 131, 133, and 135 may be any type of portable deviceadapted to perform in accordance with the invention, as furtherdescribed below. Portable devices that may be used include, but are notlimited to, a personal digital assistant adapted with wirelesscommunication capabilities, such as a HANDSPRING VISOR using aHANDSPRING MODEM or VISORPHONE, or a PALM VII, both of which arecommercially available and known in the art. Each portable device mayalso be a custom made portable device created for use with theinvention, similar to a custom wireless portable device as used by UPSand FEDEX delivery personnel. Another example of a portable device thatmay be used with the invention is a palmtop computer, such as a SonyVAIO C1 PictureBook, model C1VN. It should be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art that any variety of portable devices, whether knownor later developed, may be adapted for use with the invention asdescribed herein.

Each field office computer 125, 127, and 129 and each portable device131, 133, and 135 may provide the same functionality, using two separateuser interfaces. A first user interface, shown in FIGS. 2-4, may be usedin field office computers, while a second user interface, shown in FIGS.5-9, may be used in portable devices. Alternatively, the same userinterface can be used on both types of devices.

In a first embodiment of the invention, an inspector may log in to thecustoms resource application from a client computer 125, 127, or 129 ina field office. Each client computer 125, 127, and 129 may be a desktop,laptop, or other conventional computer, and may store applicationsoftware that, when executed by one or more processors within the clientcomputer, causes the computer to perform in accordance with theinvention as described herein. When the inspector logs in to the customsresource application, the client computer that the inspector is usingmay download information corresponding to the inspector from the centraldatabase 107. This information typically includes the inspector's name,port, role, and the inspector's present list of tasks. Each task,referred to as an alert, may correspond to an incoming shipment of goodsthat the inspector must inspect, typically at the shipment's point ofentry into the U.S. Other information may also be downloaded from thecentral database.

After logging in, a customs resource application screen 201, shown inFIG. 2, is displayed on the display screen. The screen may be dividedinto three primary sections: header 203, research area 205, and contentarea 207. The header may display the inspector's name 219, port 221, androle 223, and may also contains links to the primary resources that acustoms inspector uses during her daily routine, such as links to alerts209, tools 211, search 213, email 215, and Internet 217. The port may beone of the approximately 330 borders that the USCS is responsible formonitoring, and the role may be the inspector's role within the CustomsService. In FIG. 2, the role “CET” designates that the inspector is partof the Customs Enforcement Team. In some embodiments, the header menu203 is visible on each screen of the field office user interface. Inother embodiments, the header menu may change from screen to screen,depending on user needs and the presently displayed screen, or may notbe displayed at all.

The research area 205 contains information and research tools that theinspector may use while performing research on various shipments ofgoods. Research tools include address searching, vehicle ID/VIN lookup,Criss-Cross Directory, Trend Analysis Group (TAG) Reports, AutomatedCommercial System (ACS) access, Target Analysis, Dun & Bradstreet, andthe like. The above are merely examples of types of tools that may beaccessible in the research area. Other tools may also be included, asshould be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

The address searching may be used to look up an address, such as anincoming carrier's business address, an incoming motorist's home addresson his or her driver's license, and the like. The vehicle look up may beused to find out information regarding a vehicle based on the VehicleIdentification Number (VIN) or other identifying information, such as alicense plate number. The Criss-Cross directory may also be used toobtain vehicle information. A Criss-Cross directory is a research toolthat allows inspectors to link a vehicle to a person, address, etc. Itcan be used to verify that the driver of the car is actually the owneror can determine where the vehicle was purchased. The Criss-Cross systemmay utilize a centralized database shared by multiple law enforcementagencies.

The USCS Trend Analysis Group, or TAG, prepares and makes available toinspectors, information regarding recent trends that the USCS hasidentified. TAG Reports generally relate to incoming shipments ofillegal goods or the methods used by smugglers to attempt to bringillegal goods into the country. ACS may be used to access the USCSmainframe database system 101. Using ACS, the inspector can log directlyin to the central database 107, and review raw data stored in thedatabase without using the customs resource application's user-friendlyinterface.

Target Analysis is another enforcement tool that allows inspectors toobtain a risk rating related to a specific shipment based on variouscriterion. This criterion may include importer information, carrierinformation, type of merchandise, amount of times the carrier has beeninspected, amount of times contraband has been found for a particularcarrier, and the like. This information may be used by the inspectorduring the inspection process. A link to Dun & Bradstreet may also beprovided so that inspectors can perform research on corporate entities.Other embodiments of the invention may also provide links to additionalresources that inspectors use.

Information in the Research Section may include news articles to provideinspectors with up to date information to make more informed decisionsduring the inspection process. News articles may be news articlesinternal to the USCS, articles contained in press releases released bythe USCS, or they may also be an instant message sent by an inspectorwho encounters a major source of contraband that may be of interest toother inspectors. Other types of news articles may also be included,such that inspectors receive information relevant to the inspectionprocess.

The content area 207 may contain the content for the selected item fromthe header 203. FIG. 2 shows the content associated with the alerts link209. In this embodiment, alert information as shown in FIG. 2 may be thedefault content when an inspector logs in to the customs resourceapplication. In other embodiments, other default content screens may beused.

The TAG Report window 233 contains information similar to that which maybe displayed upon selecting the TAG Report link/button in the researcharea. TAG Report headlines or titles may be displayed in the window 233.Each report may be selected by the inspector, at which time the systemmay display the complete TAG Report selected.

The inspection look up calendar 231 may be used to locate shipments bydate. After selecting a requested month using the month and year pulldown menus, the inspector may select a specific day of that month forwhich information is requested. After selecting a day of a specificmonth, a listing of shipments that either arrived on that day or thatwere cleared on that day may be displayed (not shown). The shipments maybe sorted by status (e.g., arrived or cleared), displayed inalphabetical order, or displayed in any other pre-defined oruser-defined manner. In other embodiments, shipments meeting othercriteria may also be displayed as a result of using the InspectionsLook-Up calendar. For instance, one embodiment may display only thoseshipments that were inspected on the selected day.

The content area 207 also includes an alert information window 227 withscroll button 229 when needed. The alert information window 227 mayinclude three tabs: alerts tab 235, alert detail tab 237, and alertresolution tab 239. The alerts tab 235 may display an overview ofidentifying information for the alerts on the inspector's current tasklist. The information included under the alerts tab may include eachalert's priority level, date of arrival into the U.S., target locationor recipient organization, commodity, and risk index indicator level,each as received and defined by the USCS.

If the inspector has more alerts than will fit in one screen of thealert information window, optional button 229 may be displayed. Clickingbutton 229 may scroll the alert information list one screen within thealert information window.

Upon selecting the alert detail tab 237, or by selecting an item withinan alert, the system may enlarge and/or redisplay the alert informationwindow 227 containing detailed information for the selected alert, suchas is shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 depicts a customs resource applicationscreen where the content area 207 includes an enlarged alert informationwindow displaying an alert detail. The alert detail includes detailedinformation available regarding the specified alert, includinginformation such as Importer ID, Importer Name, Importer Address,Country of Departure, Broker, Commodity, Quantity, Weight, DeclaredValue, Packaging, Shipper, Shipper Address, Risks, Arrival Date, Bill ofLading Number, a digital image when available, and the like. Additionalor lesser information may be included under the alert detail tab. Thepurpose of the alert detail tab is to give the inspector relevantinformation regarding the selected alert.

Some embodiments may include a link 243 to the Bill of Lading and/or alink 245 to alert the USCS X-ray team. By selecting link 243, the Billof Lading is displayed on the display screen. By selecting link 245, theX-ray team is notified, by sending a message to a computing deviceassociated with the X-ray team, that the present shipment needs to beX-rayed before it is cleared into the U.S. The notification may be sentvia email, instant message, text to voice, or using any other knowncommunication technology.

When the inspector clicks or selects the alert resolution tab 239, thecustoms resource application screen 201 may redisplay the content area207 including an alert resolution form shown in the alert informationwindow 227 in FIG. 4. The content area may also contain a second window251 through which an inspector with supervisory status may approve thealert clearance or request a follow up to the inspection.

The inspector may enter the inspection results in the alert resolutionform. If the inspector has supervisory status, second window 251 mayalso be displayed so that the inspector can approve the alert approvalor request a follow up, as well as optionally route a copy of the alertresolution report to another office within the USCS. When the inspectorcompletes and saves the report, the information may be automaticallytransmitted to the central database 107. The inspector may then selectthe alerts tab 235 to view the remaining alerts on her list of tasks.

With reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 5-9, in a second embodiment of theinvention, the inspector may log in to the customs resource applicationusing portable device 131, 133, and 135, replacing the conventionalpaper and clipboard model that inspectors have previously used in thefield. Each portable device 131, 133, and 135 may store applicationsoftware that, when executed by one or more processors within theportable device, cause the portable device to perform in accordance withthe invention as described herein. In some embodiments, the portabledevice may be adapted with wireless communication capabilities. Wirelesscommunications may be accomplished using any technology presently knownor hereinafter developed. The specific technology used is secondary toenabling the device with wireless communications capabilities. Forinstance, wireless communications may be performed using the USCS'ssecure telecommunications network, presently used for voicecommunications among Customs officials. Wireless communications may alsobe performed using other known technologies, such as GSM, CDMA, AMPS,and the like. The portable device may wirelessly communicate with anyone of communications towers 109, 111, and 113, which in turn relays thecommunications to and from the central computer 101 and morespecifically to and from database 107.

After logging in to the customs resource application on the portabledevice, the device may display a welcome screen 301, as shown in FIG. 5.The welcome screen may display the inspector's name and provide a menucontaining links 303, 305, 307, and 309 to various resources availableto the inspector, including alerts, resolutions, research, and news,respectively. Links to other areas may optionally be included, such as alink to email or instant messaging.

When the inspector selects the alerts link 303 (e.g., by touching theportable device's touch sensitive screen), the portable device maydisplay an alerts screen 311, shown in FIG. 6. The alerts screen 311 maycontain an alerts summary list 312, which may be the same information asis available under the alerts tab in the conventional computerembodiment described above. Optionally, an image link 313 may also beincluded on the alerts screen. After selecting an alert, the inspectormay select the image link to either view a digital image of the goods orto capture a digital image of the goods, depending on whether a digitalimage already exists in the alert record. If an image already exists, itmay be displayed on the portable device display screen. If no imageexists, the inspector may capture an image using an optionally attacheddigital camera. An example of a digital camera that may be used is theEYEMODULE for use with HANDSPRING VISOR personal digital assistants.Other portable devices with integrated or externally attached camerasmay also be used.

When the inspector selects an alert from the alert summary list 312 onthe alert screen, the portable device may display the alert detailscreen 315, shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Due to size limitations of someportable devices, alert information may be displayed on two or morealert detail screens. FIG. 7 shows page 1 of an alert detail screen fora selected alert. FIG. 8 shows page 2 of an alert detail screen for thesame selected alert. Each alert detail screen 315 may include aninformation section 317 and a navigation section 319. The informationsections among the various alert detail screens relating to the samealert may contain the same information as is available under the alertdetail tab in the first embodiment described above.

The navigation section 319 provides links to the various pages of alertdetail information, a link to an image of the goods when available, alink to the bill of lading, and a link to alert the X-ray team as in thefirst embodiment. In addition to using the links in the navigationsection 319, an inspector may optionally move from page to page usingnavigation buttons on a portable device, such as up and down buttons 321and 323, respectively. Other known navigation and interface techniqueson portable devices may also be used.

When the inspector selects the “image” link in the navigation section319, the portable device may behave the same as if the inspectorselected the image link 313 from the alerts screen 311 in FIG. 6, bydisplaying the image when present or storing an image using an attachedcamera. When the inspector selects the “BOL” link, the portable devicemay display the bill of lading for the shipment of goods to which thealert relates. When the inspector selects the Alert X-Ray link, theportable device may display an instant messaging or email screen throughwhich the inspector may enter additional comments or other information,and transmit a message to a computing device associated with the X-rayteam, as in the first embodiment described above. Alternatively, thedevice may send a message to the X-ray team computer without acceptingadditional information from the inspector. That is, when the inspectorselects the alert X-ray link, a message may be automatically transmittedto the X-ray team. The inspector may return to the alert summary list312 by selecting an optionally displayable link (not shown), by pressingone of the portable devices programmable buttons 325, 327, 329, and 331,or any other suitable user interface technique, now know or laterdeveloped.

When the inspector selects the news link 309 from the welcome screen(FIG. 5), the portable device may display the news screen 335, shown inFIG. 9. The news screen 335 may contain USCS news articles, instantmessages, and the like, similar to or the same as the news section inthe first embodiment described above. The news screen 335 may alsocontain email messages and allow the inspector to send email and/orinstant messages to other USCS personnel. For instance, an inspector,upon inspecting the shipment of 8-cylinder engines referred to in FIGS.7-8, determines that there are drugs hidden in the engine block. Theinspector may then send an email, instant message, or other likecommunication, to one or more other inspectors or other USCS personnelto inform them to carefully check any incoming engines for possibleillegal drugs, especially 8-cylinder engines originating in Brazil.Alternatively, the inspector may send an instant message to theappropriate personnel informing them of the illegal drugs so that thatperson can flag every incoming shipment of engines to ensure that eachshipment may be searched before entry into the country.

In addition, there may optionally be an image link (not shown) on theemail and/or instant message screen. When entering an email or instantmessage, the inspector may select the image link to capture an imageusing the optionally attached camera. The image may then be attached toand sent with the email or instant message to the desired recipient(s).This may eliminate the need for an import specialist to travel to aborder location to determine the correct import classification ofincoming goods because the import specialist may view the received imageand make the classification decision without traveling to the goods'location. Email and/or instant messaging services may be served by thecentral computer 101 or a separate server (not shown) from the centralcomputer 101, as is known in the art.

When the inspector selects the research link 307 (FIG. 5), the portabledevice may display a research screen (not shown). The research screenmay contain links to the same resources as or different resources fromthose resources available in the research portion of the research area205 in the PC embodiment described above.

As previously stated, the portable devices may be adapted with wirelesscommunication capabilities to be in continuous communication with thecentral database. In another embodiment, the portable devices may nothave wireless capabilities, but rather the devices may be synchronized,or hot-synched, with the central database using an application programresiding on a conventional computer, as is known in the art. Any changesmade in the portable device, and any email and instant messagecommunications, would be updated and sent the next time the inspectorconnected the portable device to the computer and performed thesynchronization process.

In yet another embodiment, the portable devices may be adapted withwireless communications and also perform synchronizations with a customsresources application residing on a conventional computer. After theinspector logs in using the conventional computer, the inspector maysynchronize the portable device to the information downloaded to theconventional computer from the database. Later, after the inspector hasperformed an inspection, the portable device may wirelessly transmit theinspection results to the database, as described above.

Some embodiments of the invention may use the customs resourceapplication as embodied in a conventional computer, while others may usethe customs resource application as embodied in a portable device. Yetothers may use the customs resource application both through aconventional computer and a portable device, allowing inspectors theoption of typically larger display screens and the often moreuser-friendly interfaces available on a conventional computer, whileallowing inspectors real-time access to information and the ability toclear shipments from the field using the portable device.

In some embodiments, each customs resource application screen may beunique to individual inspectors. That is, the inspector may selectpreferences for the information and resources that are displayed on eachcustoms resource application screen, as well as which screen should bedisplayed as a default. Thus, one inspector's default screen may be alisting of alert summaries, such as is shown in FIG. 2, while anotherinspector's default screen may be an email screen (not shown). Also, oneinspector may have a first set of resources displayed in the Researchwindow, while another may have a second set of resources displayed inthe Research window. Another preference that inspectors may define mayaffect the layout of the customs resource application screens, and wherespecified content should be displayed on the screen. It should bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art that additional preferencesmay also be set within the customs resource application.

In both the first and second embodiments described above, variousprogramming languages may be used, depending on the hardwareconfiguration, to implement the various aspects of the invention. In oneembodiment, PALM OS may be used to implement the customs resourceapplication on a portable device such as a PALM VII or HANDSPRING VISOR,and Visual Basic and/or HTML, may be used to implement the customsresource application on a convention computer. Other programminglanguages may also be used, as known by those skilled in the art.

With reference to FIG. 11, the above-described customs resourceapplication may be used to perform an improved method of clearingshipments of goods through USCS for entry into the U.S., or by othercountries' customs services. Beginning in step 501, an inspector may login to the customs resource application using a portable device. Thelogin procedure may comprise sending the inspector's login informationvia a wireless communications link to the database and verifying theinspector's login information. Alternatively, the portable device maylog in to the database through a synchronization process while connectedto a convention laptop or desktop computer, as is well known in the art.

In step 503, the portable device downloads the logged in inspector'stask list to the device's memory. The inspector then may inspect thecargo, referencing information in the customs resource application usingthe portable device, in step 505. The inspector may use the portabledevice to reference alert detail information, send and/or receive emailand/or instant messages from other USCS personnel, compare a previouslytaken digital image of the shipment to the actual shipment, and thelike. The inspector may also perform any necessary research using theportable device in step 507. If no research is required, step 507 may beskipped. Upon completing the inspection, the inspector may record herfindings in the portable device in step 509, which are transmitted tothe central database in step 511. The inspector may add additionalinformation or amend previously entered information using the portabledevice or a PC enabled with the customs resource application in optionalstep 513. Finally, in step 515, the central database issues clearanceinformation for the shipment using EDI. Using the above-describedmethod, customs inspectors have access to a variety of useful andtimesaving resources via the customs resource application. In addition,when the inspector has finished the inspection, the inspector mayinstantly clear the shipment of goods for entry into the country,without requiring the inspector to return to the field office.

It should be appreciated that the above method steps are not meant tolimit the order of the steps to that indicated. For instance, step 507may be performed at any point after logging in to the customs resourceapplication. Other steps may also be performed in other orders.Similarly, the inclusion of each of the above steps is not meant toindicate that the step is required. For instance, at least steps 507 and513 are optional, depending on the shipment being inspected. It shouldalso be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the method maybe adapted for use with the first embodiment, as well as with variousportable devices.

With reference to FIG. 13, there is a method of clearing a shipment ofgoods into a country using a portable device. A portable device receivesa task list in step 601. Each task may correspond to a shipment of goodsfor inspection or other action by a customs inspector. In step 603, theportable device displays the task information on a display screen, for acustoms inspector's review. The portable device may receive inspectionresults from the customs inspector in step 605, after the inspector hascompleted his or her inspection of a shipment. The inspection resultspreferably correspond to one of the shipments of goods in the task list.Finally, in step 607, the portable device transmits the inspectionresults to a central computer and/or database.

With reference to FIG. 14, there is a method of supporting the clearingof a shipment of goods into a country by a central computer. In step701, a central computer sends a task list to a portable device. Eachtask corresponds to a shipment of goods for inspection or other actionby a customs inspector. In step 703, the central computer receivesinspection results from the portable device. The inspection resultsshould correspond to one of the shipments of goods from the sent tasklist. In step 705, the central computer clears a shipment of goods intothe country based on the received inspection results.

The inventive method and system may be embodied as computer readableinstructions stored on a computer readable medium such as a floppy disk25, hard disk 21, or system memory 13. FIG. 15 illustrates a blockdiagram of a computer readable medium 701 that may be used in accordancewith one or more of the above embodiments. The computer readable medium801 stores computer executable components, or software modules, 803-813.More or fewer software modules may alternatively be used. Each componentmay be an executable program, a data link library, a configuration file,a database, a graphical image, a binary data file, a text data file, anobject file, a source code file, or the like. When processor 11 executesone or more of the software modules, the software modules interact tocause the computer system 10 to perform according to the teachings ofthe present invention as described herein.

While the invention has been described with respect to specific examplesincluding presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variationsand permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fallwithin the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in theappended claims.

1. A portable device comprising: a display screen; a processing unit;and memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed bythe processor, cause the portable device to perform the steps of: (i)receiving a task list, wherein each task includes information knownabout shipments of goods prior to the shipments being inspected; (ii)displaying task information on the display screen to inform a user aboutupcoming inspections; (iii) displaying shipment information on thedisplay screen to inform a user about one of the shipments of goods inthe task list; (iv) receiving inspection results from the user, whereinan on-site inspection of one of the shipments of goods in the task listis performed by the user and the inspection results correspond to theuser's on-site inspection of one of the shipments of goods in the tasklist; and (v) transmitting the inspection results.
 2. The portabledevice of claim 1, wherein step (i) is performed over a wirelesscommunications link.
 3. The portable device of claim 1, wherein step (i)is performed during one or more wired synchronization procedures.
 4. Theportable device of claim 1, wherein each task corresponds to a shipmentof goods that is to be inspected.
 5. The portable device of claim 1,further comprising a camera, and wherein the computer readableinstructions further cause the portable device to perform the steps of:(vi) photographing at least a portion of the one shipment of goods usingthe camera; (vii) storing the photograph in the memory; and (viii)associating the photograph with the task corresponding to the oneshipment of goods.
 6. The portable device of claim 1, wherein thecomputer readable instructions further cause the device to perform thestep of: (vi) sending a communication to a second device associated withan X-ray team, based on the inspection results, said communicationrequesting an x-ray of the corresponding shipment.
 7. The portabledevice of claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions furthercause the device to perform the step of: (vi) sending a communication toa device associated with an import specialist, said communicationcomprising inspection results.
 8. The portable device of claim 1,wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the device toperform the step of: (vi) sending a communication to at least one deviceassociated with a customs inspector, said communication comprisinginspection results.
 9. The portable device of claim 1, wherein thedisplayed shipment information includes an alert sent from anotherportable device.
 10. The portable device of claim 1, wherein thedisplayed shipment information includes news articles.
 11. The portabledevice of claim 1, wherein the displayed shipment information includesresearch tools including an inspection look up function.
 12. A portabledevice comprising: a display screen having a first region for displayingtask information and a second region for displaying shipmentinformation; a processing unit; and memory storing a database andcomputer readable instructions, wherein each entry in the database isrepresentative of a task; and wherein the computer readableinstructions, when executed by the processor, cause the portable deviceto perform the steps of: (i) receiving a task list, wherein each taskincludes information known about shipments of goods prior to theshipment being inspected; (ii) displaying a task summary list on thedisplay screen in the first region to inform a user about upcominginspections; (iii) displaying shipment information on the display in thesecond region, wherein the shipment information includes informationrelated to one of the shipment of goods in the task list; (iv) receivinginspection results from the user, wherein the inspection resultscorrespond to the shipment of goods; and (v) transmitting the inspectionresults.
 13. The portable device of claim 12 wherein each task in thedatabase includes a priority level, an arrival data, an importer name,and a risk level, and the first region includes display fields for thepriority level, the arrival date, the importer name, the risk level, andthe commodity name of a selected task.
 14. A method of clearing ashipment of goods into a country, comprising the steps of: receiving ata portable handheld computer a task list including a plurality of tasks,wherein each task includes information known about shipments of goodsreceived at a customs border prior to the shipment being inspected;displaying the task list on a display of the portable handheld computerto inform a user about upcoming inspections; receiving user inputselecting a first task from a plurality of tasks in the task list;displaying task detail information corresponding to the first task toinform the user about upcoming inspections; receiving user input intothe portable handheld computer corresponding to the user's on-siteinspection of the shipment of goods corresponding to the first task;sending a inspection result corresponding to the first task from theportable handheld computer to a server computer, wherein the inspectionresult is determined as a function of the received user input; andsending shipment information corresponding to the first task from theportable handheld computer to another portable handheld computer fordisplay on the display of the other portable handheld computer, whereinthe shipment information is determined as a function of the receiveduser input.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method furtherincludes the step of: displaying recent shipment informationcorresponding to recent inspection result of a shipment of goods similarto the shipment of goods corresponding to the first task.
 16. The methodof claim 14, wherein the information known about shipments of goodsincludes an image of how the goods are expected to look upon inspection.17. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further includes thesteps of: accessing a research tool from the portable handheld computer;and performing research corresponding to the shipment of goods.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, wherein the research tool comprises reports oftrends of imported goods.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein theresearch tool comprises an inspection lookup function.
 20. The method ofclaim 14, wherein the method further includes the step of determining arisk rating related to the shipments of goods based on criteria from thegroup of: importer information, carrier information, type ofmerchandise, amount of times the carrier has been inspected, and amountof times contraband has been found for a particular carrier.
 21. Amethod, comprising the steps of: displaying a task list on a display ofa portable handheld computer, wherein each task in the plurality oftasks includes information known about shipments of goods received at acustoms border prior to the shipments being inspected; identifying oneof the shipments of goods to be inspected based on the information knownabout the shipments of goods; at a location of goods being inspected,receiving user input into the portable handheld computer correspondingto the user's on-site inspection of the shipment of goods correspondingto the identified shipment of goods; and transmitting the inspectionresults from the portable handheld computer to a server computer. 22.The method of claim 21, further comprising: determining a risk ratingrelated to the identified shipments of goods based on one or morecriteria from the group of: importer information, carrier information,type of merchandise, amount of times the carrier has been inspected, andamount of times contraband has been found for a particular carrier. 23.The method of claim 22, wherein the risk rating identifies shipmentsthat are likely to contain illegal goods.
 24. The method of claim 21,further comprising: receiving a selection of the identified shipment ofgoods from a user; and in response to the selection, displaying detailedinformation related to the identified shipment of goods, including atleast one of: importer number, importer name, importer Address, countryof departure, broker, commodity, quantity, weight, declared value,packaging, shipper, shipper address, risks, arrival date, bill of ladingnumber, and a digital image.
 25. The method of claim 21, wherein thetask list is displayed based on user preferences, including at least oneof layout display preferences and content display preferences.